Landslide
by bnomiko
Summary: It's Mokuba's 18th birthday, and Seto has a difficult time accepting that his little brothers have grown up. ShonenAi. Prideshipping SetoYami with Stepshipping NoaMokuba.
1. Part 1: I Don't Want to Know

Pairing(s): Seto + Yami, Noa + Mokuba, Jou + Mai  
><span>Warnings:<span> swearing  
><span>Disclaimer:<span>"Landslide" and "I Don't Want to Know" are performed and recorded by Fleetwood Mac. Yu-Gi-Oh! is the creation of Kazuki Takahashi. This is a not-for-profit fanwork and I do not own any of these characters.

**This is a SHONEN-AI fic (male + male romantic relationship). If you are offended by homosexual relationships, please do not read this. Flames will be disregarded.**

Setup for this fic:  
>- Part of the Kai-baby  Yami-kins AU. Chronologically set very shortly after the last chapter of "Sixteen (Going on Seventeen)."  
>- Noa has been brought out of the virtual world, has a new body, and is living with Mokuba and Seto, and Yami has his own body and is separate from Yugi. The how and why isn't important on either of those.<br>- Ages of characters: Seto and Yami are 23, Noa and Mokuba 18.

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><p><strong>Landslide<strong>

**Part 1: I Don't Want to Know**

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><p>There was a running joke in their family that Yami slept enough for both he and Seto to get by. There was probably some truth to that, thanks to the effect of their mind link. But even without that, Seto wasn't going to get any sleep, not tonight. He just didn't want to get up yet either.<p>

For the umpteenth time that night, he ran his fingers down Yami's arm, from shoulder to elbow, savoring the feel of warm skin laid bare. His hand moved down and traced along a rib, down the spine, over the curve of the backside and down the thigh. Yami didn't wake up or stir; he merely took a deeper breath than usual and continued right on sleeping.

It was nice being able to press himself against a naked body, to caress it as he pleased. They rarely slept nude – for one, there was nothing more unpleasant than accidentally pinching one's balls while rolling over – but also because given a choice between fucking and sleeping, it was obvious which was preferable.

Seto groaned softly to himself. They'd already tried the former. He'd failed miserably, and he didn't understand why. He didn't think there was anything physically wrong with him… But he'd been unable to get fully erect and trying to force it to work had only caused them both pain and frustration. He'd offered a blow job and foot massage to try and make amends, which Yami had accepted without fuss. And then after much sucking and touching and rubbing, they'd drifted off to sleep… or at least Yami had, which led back to Seto's current dilemma, with him staring at the back of his lover's head.

He had a momentary thought that he ought to wake the shorter duelist just so he'd have someone to keep him company, so that he wouldn't have to think about… things. But that would be unfair to Yami, and besides, Seto knew his boyfriend would only manage to direct the conversation back towards what he didn't want to talk about.

Seto sat up and swung his legs off the bed. He sighed, reluctantly facing the truth - he wasn't going back to sleep. And he wasn't doing anything productive just sitting in bed, his mind spinning in circles. He got up, got dressed, and headed downstairs to the kitchen, opting to focus on the one thing he had resolved to do, as if that by concentrating on that task, he could forget everything else, even for a few moments.

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><p>By the time Yami was up and out of bed, Seto was already wandering back upstairs with a breakfast tray in hand. Yami caught a glimpse of the taller duelist as he disappeared into Mokuba's room, and he immediately ran to catch up, curious as to what was going on.<p>

_What__are__you__doing?_a slightly sleep addled Yami barely managed to ask before there was a yelp and Mokuba and Noa began screeching their big brother's name.

That woke him quicker than cold water to the face. "Seto? Mokuba, Noa, is everything okay?" Yami called out in alarm just as Seto backed out of the room, bumping into the shorter man in his haste to get out and shut the door. "What's…"

"They're… they're …" Seto began mumbling. He swallowed and tried to gather his thoughts before starting again. "They're… _together_…" was all he managed to get out.

Yami frowned slightly. He didn't need more details to understand. And he didn't really want to talk about what was going behind closed doors either. Not that he thought of himself as a parent, but it seemed it'd only been yesterday that Mokuba was a kid, barely chest high on him, with big gray eyes and an unruly tangle of black hair. It was just _wrong_ to think of him now as an adult, doing adult things.

But he couldn't just leave Seto floundering either. "At least they waited, like they promised," Yami said, though as soon as the words were out he realized that that wasn't exactly the most useful thing to point out either. He could understand the teens' desires to take their relationship to the next level, but still…

"It's all right, isn't it? That they're…" Seto faltered, swallowing hard. All of a sudden it felt like his legs had turned to jelly, and before he knew it, he was sitting on the carpet, his back against the wall, with Yami kneeling beside him, his eyes dark with concern.

He didn't like it. He wanted to yell at Yami, wanted to scream, "Don't look at me like that!" – but the words wouldn't come. He just felt weird. He didn't remember ever feeling so strange before, not when the police had told him his father had died, not when his relatives had told him that he and Mokuba wouldn't be living with them anymore...

"… He's grown up…" Seto whispered, as if even he couldn't believe what he was saying. Nothing made sense anymore.

"Yes." Yami shifted so that he could sit beside his lover.

"It's not like I wanted him to be a kid forever." Seto glanced back at the door, then looked away again. He didn't say anything for a minute. Then suddenly, he jumped up and shook his head. "I can't stay here. I have to go to work."

"Seto…" Yami reached out to snag his boyfriend's wrist, but Seto neatly twisted it out of his grasp.

"Mokuba might take the day off. I told him it was okay yesterday… " Seto said as he hastily began retreating back to his room.

"Wait!" Yami called out, but Seto was long gone. Frustrated, the shorter duelist let out a big sigh. He glanced back at the closed door to Mokuba's room, grateful he couldn't hear any more sounds from that direction. Seto wasn't the only one left flustered by what was going on in there; Yami wasn't looking forward to that awkward moment when the teens finally emerged either.

He wasn't normally one to avoid the inevitable, but after some thought he headed back towards his bedroom to grab some riding pants and a T-shirt. It was a bit early for it, but suddenly a morning ride sounded like just the thing.

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><p>Jounouchi frowned at the persistent knocking on the shop's door. Surely no purchase was so urgent that a customer couldn't wait until they opened in 10 minutes, right? He knew they had their hours clearly posted, and he'd just put Hitomi down for a nap on top of that.<p>

But the person at the door was insistent, and Jou found himself marching over to the door to tell them to knock it off. "Sorry, but we're not open ye…" he began saying, irritation making his voice sound sharper than usual, but then he pulled back the shade on the door and realized who was standing there. "Oh… uh, just a sec, 'kay?"

The blonde quickly ran to get the key, then began unlocking the door. He wasn't sure why Seto was there, but he figured it was probably none of his business anyhow. Maybe he just wanted to get Mokuba a little extra something for his birthday and was in a hurry to get to the office?

But Seto sure had an odd expression on his face. He was dressed like he'd been on his way to work, but the look he wore said he'd gotten lost.

"Everything okay?" Jou asked once the door was open and Seto stepped in.

The taller duelist paused. Part of him wanted to snap back, to viciously throw every insult in the book at the other man just because he'd dared to question if something was not quite right… but he couldn't seem to find his voice.

Then Sugoroku stuck his head into the shop. "Seto? What are you doing here?"

Seto mutely stared back.

Sugoroku's expression grew a little more serious. He beckoned to the younger man, waiting until Seto was standing right in front of him before asking him in a hushed tone, "Come into the house, okay?"

Seto couldn't even nod. He just silently followed the elderly shopkeeper into the house, into the small dining area next to the kitchen. It wasn't until Sugoroku sat him down that he finally managed to speak.

"I don't know why I'm here," Seto admitted. "I meant to go to work."

Considering he was dressed in a suit and tie, that much was obvious. But he didn't seem like he was in the right mental state for a day at the office. He probably shouldn't even have been driving.

Sugoroku thought about what he could do to open up the dialogue further; Seto was always a hard nut to crack. But thankfully he'd had a bit of practice with it over the years. "Is Mokuba taking the day off?"

"He's 18 now," Seto mumbled.

"Yes."

The brunette shrugged helplessly, then finally tilted his chin up enough so that Sugoroku didn't have to talk to the top of his head anymore. The old man couldn't help but notice the confusion in those normally clear eyes. "I don't know what I'm doing."

It was so out of character for Seto to be floundering so badly that, had the mood been lighter, Sugoroku might have laughed. But Seto hadn't come over to the shop for someone to joke around with; Sugoroku knew he'd sought him out because he was the closest thing Seto had to a parent. And because he'd been in the same position before, watching a child grow into a man under his care.

Sugoroku remembered thinking that he'd had it tough as an elderly man having to raise his grandson by himself after losing his wife, after losing his only child. Yugi had been a good kid, but at times, the enormity of the task had been overwhelming. But Seto, who had lost even more, had managed to raise two boys – and himself – to adulthood, even though he'd been a child himself, really… Or was it disrespectful to think of it only in terms of age?

"Birthdays are a pretty big deal, aren't they?" Sugoroku said. "Especially 18th birthdays."

"As that's the requirement to become legally recognized as an adult, yes," Seto automatically responded.

"That's not what I meant. I mean, when you turned 18, surely you did something to celebrate – something different… something fun?"

Seto thought back to the events of that day, then shrugged again. "I slept in a little and went to work late. And Mokuba ordered a cake and brought it to the office. We had some for dinner."

"That's it?" Sugoroku blurted out in surprise. Nevermind the fact that the young CEO considered a slice of cake to be a meal, but to have cake and an extra hour or two of sleep be the most extraordinary memories of the day…? _No__party__or__dinner__out,__no__friends__over,__not__even__the__day__off?_

The brunette stared at the old man, unsure of what he was asking. "And Yami and Yugi sent me an email wishing me a Happy Birthday…?"

"Did… you want something more?" Sugoroku asked cautiously. Seto didn't seem to be upset about it – in fact, the change of topic seemed to have pulled him out of his funk a little – but at the same time, he couldn't imagine anyone not being disappointed by such a… lackluster, lonely 18th birthday.

"I wasn't dating Yami at the time, so what could…"

"I wasn't referring to just you and Yami."

Realization dawned in Seto's eyes. "Birthday parties are for children," he scoffed.

Sugoroku wisely refrained from pointing out the obvious contradiction with Seto planning to give his now 18-year-old brother the exact thing he considered childish, while at the same time wondering just how many of Seto's own birthdays had passed unnoticed. But at least he'd finally gotten a reaction out of Seto; he was starting to open up and converse instead of just robotically answering the questions posed to him.

"Mokuba's not a kid anymore, but I know he likes hanging around with everyone. So of course I'd throw him a party," Seto lamely added, as if he felt a need to explain away any implied insult.

"Yes, and this evening will be his. But wouldn't you like to do something to celebrate your achievement, today?"

"Achievement?" Seto looked flustered. He couldn't think about what a "good job" he'd done raising Mokuba without thinking of all his mistakes; hell, he'd just run from the house rather than deal with… well, he wasn't sure exactly what _that_counted as. And of course there was no forgetting Death-T, no matter how much time had passed. He knew Sugoroku wasn't dumb enough to forget about it either. So why was he so insistently dredging it up? Did he really think the little things he'd done right since then outweighed such a great wrong?

"I have work," Seto finally responded, going with the most obvious escape route.

"You could ditch..."

"Is that a joke?"

"No. In fact, I'll come with you."

Seto seemed to consider it for the briefest of moments, then began shaking his head slowly. "I can't do that. It's completely irresponsible."

Sugoroku almost felt like the kid in this situation, like a bored schoolboy goading his straight-laced buddy to join him in doing something stupid. He couldn't help but smile at the thought. "You can be irresponsible for one day. It's not like you'd get in trouble with your boss."

Seto's eyes narrowed, and Sugoroku felt his smile withering as he wondered if he'd pushed things too far. But then, to his surprise, the lines on Seto's face softened a little, then a little more, and he gave a curt nod.

"Well then… where should we go? What do you want to do?" the elderly shopkeeper quickly asked before Seto had a chance to change his mind.

"Why ask me? It was your idea."

He was right about that. Sugoroku stroked his beard as he mulled over the options. Unable to settle on any one in particular, he finally suggested, "Then, I'll drive. And we'll go where the road takes us."

Seto stared at him. He had always said that the road under his feet would lead him to the future. But he'd never thought about following it in such a literal manner. Oddly though, that made it more appealing…

The younger man slowly stood up, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he did so.

Sugoroku went to fetch his keys. He considered leaving a note for Yugi and Jou, but if he did that, then it wouldn't _really_be ditching, would it? Besides, Jou would probably figure out that they'd gone somewhere as soon as he heard the station wagon rattling its way out of the back lot.

"Are we going to take your car?" Seto suddenly asked, his voice soft but a little steadier than before.

"Yes, why?"

With a touch of annoyance, Seto added, "That old car?"

Sugoroku couldn't help but grin. "Would you rather I drive yours?"

Interestingly, Seto stopped to think about it. There was something encouraging about that. But the old man wasn't surprised when he finally said, "… No."

Chuckling softly, Sugoroku let his keys jangle against his palm. "Ready to go then?"

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><p><span>Author<span>'s Notes:  
>- Story and chapter titles are off of Fleetwood Mac songs. Lyrics to "Landslide" won't be posted on ffnet but feel free to look them up : )<br>- Re: Mokuba and Noa. Don't ask who was on top or what Seto might've seen. Like Seto and Yami, I don't want to know! (Well, I do have an answer, but I still don't want to think about it : p )


	2. Part 2: Safe Harbour

Disclaimer:"Landslide" and "Safe Harbour" are performed and recorded by Fleetwood Mac. Yu-Gi-Oh! is the creation of Kazuki Takahashi. This is a not-for-profit fanwork and I do not own any of these characters.

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><p><strong>Landslide<strong>

**Part 2: Safe Harbour**

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><p>They really did end up setting out without a destination in mind. At first that seemed to work okay, but gradually the already stilted conversation dried up and died, so Sugoroku decided it'd be best to stop somewhere, maybe a park or something, so he could focus more on his brooding passenger and less on driving.<p>

While waiting at a stoplight trying to remember where the nearest park was, the elderly shopkeeper heard the low, unmistakable blast of a ship's horn from the harbor. As 15 and 16 year olds respectively, Yugi and Jou had set off for Duelist Kingdom from that same port, desperate to free him from Pegasus' clutches, wanting to save Shizuka's eyesight. They'd returned a lot more mature, with a greater understanding of themselves. And Sugoroku also remembered Yugi telling him about a duel he'd missed during Battle City, where Malik's dark side had used magic to control Jounouchi and turn him against Yugi. That had taken place at this harbor too. It was frightening, even now, to think about the danger they'd both been in. But they'd made it through together, and become even closer because of it.

Maybe there was just something about the place then… something about the endless rise and fall of the sea and the pungent salt scent of the air, that made it easier to look within oneself.

Sugoroku made his decision and hit the turn signal, squeezing in to the turn lane on the left. Seto didn't question it until Sugoroku began pulling the station wagon into the parking lots rimming the marinas.

"The harbor?" Seto asked, looking around. "Why?"

"I heard the horn. It reminded me of some things from the past," Sugoroku explained as he parked the car and turned off the engine.

Now that he had chosen a destination, he had to decide what to do next. They could just stay in the car to talk, but Seto's jaw had already tightened back up. Never mind that if they'd simply wanted to sit in a parking lot, any parking lot would've sufficed. Perhaps they could take a walk around the harbor, maybe find a spot to have lunch later or something…

Sugoroku opened the door and got out to take a look around. Seto followed suit, though he still looked uncomfortable. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the car, trying to feign disinterest. Sugoroku studied him a minute, then glanced around again. He spotted a third possible option in the distance and decided to go ahead and suggest it. "Have you ever tried one of those whale watching cruises?"

Seto looked at the sign the old man was gesturing at. "I've been on yachts before," he said. A boat was a boat as far as he was concerned.

"Well… want to go anyhow? Maybe there will be a cruise soon."

Seto shrugged, but at least he looked a little less tense than before. He accompanied Sugoroku to the ticket counter without further comment.

Ten minutes later, they had a pair of tickets for a two hour cruise that would sweep out from the harbor and around the outer edges of the bay. Their timing hadn't been bad; the boat's crew was already busy prepping for the morning's voyage. There were other passengers milling about, waiting to board, but Sugoroku was thankful to see that the passengers were few and the boat large enough to give them some degree of privacy. And no one so far had come up to them and asked why the billionaire CEO of Kaiba Corp. was waiting for a whale watching excursion. It helped a little that Seto had ditched his jacket and tie in the car and rolled up his sleeves. It wasn't exactly a casual look, but it was the best he could manage at the moment.

Seto stayed silent during the wait, through the boarding and the departure from the docks. It wasn't until they had made it out to the open sea that he spoke.

"I didn't plan on being gone for the day," Seto mumbled. He was standing at the rails, squinting at sunlight reflecting off the water.

Sugoroku stared at him. He'd offered to play hooky without really thinking about how it might affect Seto's company. His staff might've been searching for him. They might've had to cancel or reschedule meetings. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any inconvenience. If you're worried about it… well, I'm not sure if your phone will get a signal out here, but you can try."

Seto shut his eyes for a moment, then said, "Yami said he'd call my secretary, to let her know, just in case. I guess… he's not at the house either."

"Oh?"

For a moment it looked like Seto wanted to say something else, but then he pressed his lips tightly together and stopped himself. Sugoroku swallowed a sigh. He didn't want to force Seto to talk, but the brunette clearly had a lot on his mind. And although Yami was obviously the one Seto confided in, maybe there were some things even Yami couldn't help with.

"If there is ever anything you want to talk about, I will listen, no matter what it is," Sugoroku reassured him.

Seto's back stiffened. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he took a quick glance around before giving Sugoroku a good hard look. In a strained voice he said, "Everyone says Yugi and Yami are almost like brothers, right? What if… there was more to it than that?"

Well that was out of left field. Sugoroku rubbed his chin. "What do you mean?" Was Seto jealous of Yugi in some weird way? He was awfully possessive of Yami after all… unreasonably so at times. Sugoroku tried to think back to the last time Yami and Yugi were together, tried to think if anything had happened…

Seto sighed. "If they had wanted to date one another, would you have been okay with that?"

"Date?" The two of them were very close, yes, but it was a brotherly bond. Even if Yugi's preference had matched Yami's, Sugoroku couldn't imagine them together. That wasn't the sort of relationship they had. But he couldn't just dismiss Seto's question either. He had to be asking for a reason.

"Well, I don't know. I'd like to say I'd be okay with it, but it would take some getting used to."

"Are you just saying that because you couldn't imagine Yugi being gay?" Seto frowned. He was getting off topic himself, but he couldn't help but probe for an answer. Was Sugoroku only okay with him and Yami being together because Yami wasn't really his grandson?

"You have to understand, it's not something my generation really grew up thinking about. It wasn't something that ever occurred to me," Sugoroku carefully explained. "But I wouldn't love Yugi any less if he were gay. It would have surprised me, yes. It would've taken me some time to think it over, to get used to it. But in the end, as long as he was happy and safe, that's all that's ever mattered to me."

Seto grunted. The conversation was veering further and further off course, though he didn't know how to get it back on track, or if he even wanted to.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shocked when Yugi told me he was setting Yami up on a date with you. I think my first comment was, 'But they're both men,'" the elderly shopkeeper continued on to say, sighing at himself. "I was stereotyping, I know. Yami is a bit… flashy, but he doesn't lisp or cross-dress or do any of the other things I assumed all gay men did, so I hadn't considered the possibility… And you, you were impossible to read. Not that I was willing to get close enough to try at the time."

Seto's only response was a slow nod.

Sugoroku stared thoughtfully at him. "I'm curious… why did you ask me this?"

Given that Sugoroku had honestly answered, Seto felt obligated to respond in kind. But it still wasn't easy; he wasn't sure what the old man's reaction would be when faced with a real life scenario. "What if it weren't Yami and Yugi…" he tried again.

It suddenly sunk in. "… Mokuba and Noa?"

Seto nodded again.

Sugoroku stared at him, his face now slightly pale, as if he'd just heard a tasteless joke. "I thought they had girlfriends…"

A shake of the head.

"And you're okay with that? Why didn't you stop them!?" Surogoku blurted out, his eyebrows knitting together. He expected teenagers to be reckless and naïve, but Seto should've known better…

"I see. So it's okay as long as it's your grandson, but not Mokuba and Noa?" Seto hissed back. He never should've brought it up. He'd known it was too good to be true. It had all been lip service, when Sugoroku had said he'd done well raising his brothers, when he'd said he'd listen to whatever Seto had to say.

Seto started to stalk off, but Sugoroku quickly grabbed his arm – probably not the wisest move given Seto's legendary temper. The tall duelist went to jerk himself free, but managed to stop himself mid-motion before turning back to glare at Sugoroku. As agitated as he was he didn't want to accidentally hurt the old man by physically pushing him away – Yami would never forgive him if he did that. So all he could do was stand there and glare daggers at him.

Sugoroku shook his head. He hadn't meant to sound so shocked and upset but he'd never suspected anything like that. It was amazing how well the teens had hidden it. Yes, the two of them had always been very close, but now that he thought about it, they hadn't called one another "brother" in a long time… They were smart kids though, and headstrong. So maybe he was being unfair, questioning Seto's role in it, when he didn't know the whole story. "Please, wait. I want to understand… What happened? And how did you find out?"

Seto looked away for a moment. He didn't want to admit that Mokuba and Noa had hooked up without him ever noticing. And he didn't want to explain the whole shocking scene from prom night, when he'd caught the two of them kissing in the back of a limo. "I gave them permission to date, because that's what they wanted. Because that made them happy. I had restrictions, but now…"

"But now…?" Sugoroku asked, then he held his hand up to stave off a response as he thought better of it. He didn't want to know, if Seto was alluding to what he thought he might be alluding to. "I have to assume Yami knows about all this?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"What do you expect from a guy who died 3,000 years ago, back when it wasn't unheard of for siblings or other family members to intermarry to preserve the royal line?" Seto grumbled. He shrugged again, though the gesture was jerky from the tension in his muscles. "You know how he is… he believes in destiny. He thinks this was inevitable. I don't always agree with him. But Yami's a part of the family too. I know he'll always look out for my brothers' best interests, no matter what."

Sugoroku wanted to point out that even without Yami's input Seto should have known better, but he didn't. Seto wasn't wrong to consult with his boyfriend… it was just that Yami didn't have the experience needed to give out good advice in a situation like this. He hadn't grown up in the modern world; he didn't even have his memories from his past life.

But maybe that wasn't a bad thing after all. Yami accepted the teens' relationship. And didn't Sugoroku just say he would've worked on accepting it if it'd been Yugi and Yami? So he knew he ought to give Mokuba and Noa the same consideration. It was just hard thinking of them as adults when it seemed just yesterday they were 12 or 13.

"I'm sorry. I promised I'd listen and instead I ended up being critical of you. I'm sure this wasn't easy to deal with when it first came up. It'll just take some getting used to, I guess." Sugoroku exhaled and tried to put on a reassuring smile. "Noa and Mokuba are smart, mature young men. I'm sure they thought this over very carefully."

Seto frowned. Truth be told he didn't know how much thought the teens had put into their relationship before diving into it. He hadn't asked. It wasn't like he'd spent time carefully analyzing his feelings for Yami – in fact, he'd pretty much pushed them aside until the day they'd been set up. It had all snowballed from there. Wasn't that how love was supposed to work? At least that's what he'd been told.

"This has been on your mind a while, hasn't it?" Sugoroku asked carefully.

The brunette was uncertain whether or not he wanted to answer, but at least his head had cleared up enough for him to realize that he couldn't just walk away either. They were stuck on a boat with nothing but ocean all around. And he was tired of trying to dodge questions anyhow. Figuring he had nothing left to lose, he lifted his chin and said defiantly, "Maybe I did fuck up. But I'm not going to go back on my word either. If this makes them happy, I'm not going to stop them."

Sugoroku swallowed a sigh and sat down on one of the benches ringing the deck of the ship. He'd been happy that Seto had come to him for advice, had confided in him… but he'd forgotten just how sensitive the young man was to criticism, especially when it came to anything Mokuba related. He tried to be more agreeable. "You're right. It is ultimately their decision." He finally released the sigh he'd been holding in. "I hope it all works out for them."

"Why wouldn't it?" Seto volleyed back.

"They'll face a lot of hardships, moreso if anyone ever finds out. Plus, they're just so young… and teenagers are a bit capricious by nature."

There was so much there that Seto disagreed with that he barely knew where to start. His eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on a particular point. "Why, are you planning on telling everyone?"

"No, of course not!"

Seto growled loudly enough to drive off a group of passengers that had made the mistake of wandering over towards their side of the ship. He might've believed Surogoku's assurances earlier in the day, but now he didn't know what to think. "Mokuba's stronger than you think. And much more loyal. After all, despite everything, he's remained by my side."

"That loyalty was something he learned that from you, I'm sure."

"What the hell?! I tried to kill him. You couldn't have forgotten that, or have you gone senile?" Seto spat out.

Sugoroku took a deep breath to steady himself in the face of Seto's rage as the tall billionaire loomed over him. It seemed no matter what he said, Seto was determined to throw it back in his face. "I haven't forgotten. But despite some missteps, you're a good person. No matter how hard things got, you really tried to do the best you could for him."

"Trying doesn't count! He should've been safe. I betrayed him."

"But he forgave you. You must know that."

Seto couldn't argue against that. Mokuba had told him he'd forgiven him, more than once. To deny that would be like calling him a liar. But to this day, he couldn't fully understand it. Mokuba was a better brother than he deserved.

"He deserves to be happy," Seto snarled, as if he expected Sugoroku to disagree with that as well. "Whatever I can do for him, I will. And I won't let you interfere with his relationship with Noa, no matter what you think of it."

"I promise, I won't interfere."

Seto's expression hadn't softened at all. Sugoroku sighed. It was tiring, this conversation. He was rightfully worried that they'd spend the rest of the cruise talking in circles, with Seto assuming the worst about everything, and him trying to keep up, trying to patch up each misunderstanding. It couldn't keep going on like this. He had to clear the air. "Seto… please, I never meant to hurt your feelings…"

"As if anything you say matters to me."

"It does. I know it does. That's why you keep arguing, because you want me to convince you otherwise," Sugoroku insisted. Seto shook his head, but Sugoroku kept going. He even reached out to grab Seto's wrist again. "You confided in me. I was happy to have your trust. I wanted to help you. But then I spoke without thinking and made it sound like you did something wrong, when you didn't. It wasn't something I was prepared to hear. But I shouldn't have lashed out at you for it."

Seto looked away, at his feet, at the deck, at the railing… anywhere but in Sugoroku's direction. Still, the elderly shopkeeper could see the mask cracking, the rage replaced by confusion.

"Sadly there's no guide to being a parent. Even an old man like me still makes mistakes."

"Your mistakes couldn't have been bad as mine."

"I suppose not, but…" Sugoroku sighed deeply and hesitated a moment before going on. "I'm not sure even Yugi knows this, but I think I was a terrible father."

That brought Seto's eyes up. Sugoroku found it was now harder for him to meet Seto's gaze, but he soldiered on. "I never laid a hand on my son – I don't remember ever even scolding him, but I also wasn't around much. I loved adventure and gambling, perhaps more than I loved my family. By the time I decided I wanted to settle down, to be a husband and a father, my wife had left me and my child was grown up and long gone. I never managed to mend those rifts; within 10 years, I lost them both."

"Why… are you telling me this?"

"I thought you might understand. And I didn't want you to think you were the only one with secrets."

Seto shifted a little uncomfortably. "These are things you should be telling Yugi, not me."

"One day, when he's a little older… when he's at that point in his life where this will all make sense to him, I will tell him." Sugoroku smiled thinly. "Isn't that why you came to me? It takes a parent to understand what a parent goes through."

"Hn," Seto grunted, but Sugoroku could see in his eyes that he understood.

"I'm grateful for Yugi. Not only did it give me a chance to make amends, but he gave me a reason to go on when I thought I had nothing left to live for," Sugoroku added.

Seto nodded. If it weren't for Mokuba, he would've never survived. He would've been swallowed by despair after losing his parents, after being discarded by his relatives, after enduring Gozaburo's punishments. He would've never been able to piece together his heart after Death-T.

"But, as nice as it was having Yugi with me, I'm glad it's not just the two of us anymore," Sugoroku continued. "Now there's Yami, you and your brothers… I never thought I'd want a big family, but it makes me happy to have all of you around."

Seto thought about it. Once upon a time, "family" had been a dirty word. "Family" had been the parents who'd died and left them behind. "Family" had been the aunt and uncle who'd sucked them dry of their inheritance and then discarded them like trash. "Family" had been the brutish man who'd adopted them, who'd punished him because he wasn't perfect enough, wasn't agreeable enough… or simply because he could.

It had taken Yami and Death-T and a coma to shatter his conceptions of "family." After that, "family" was him and Mokuba, standing together against the world. He'd thought they'd be okay like that. But then Noa had landed in their lives, and Yami had landed in his lap, and he'd learned that it wasn't a bad thing, having people other than Mokuba around, being cared for and caring for them in return. He couldn't imagine life without his new family now…

He felt a pang of guilt mixed with a bit of panic; he'd run off like a coward and left Yami to deal with his brothers when he should've stayed and faced the situation himself. Not only had he failed Mokuba and Noa, but he'd let Yami down too. He felt like an asshole and an idiot. Gingerly, he searched for Yami's mind, wanting a glimpse of his general mood. He'd figured he'd be doing a lot of apologizing once he got home, but the vibe he got was surprisingly quiet and calmer than expected. Seto breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled back, and shook his head.

"I don't know why he puts up with me," Seto grumbled to himself.

Normally Sugoroku would've pretended he hadn't heard anything, but this time he couldn't help but answer. "Because he cares for you that much."

Seto glanced at him, then looked away. "I don't know why you put up with my shit either," he muttered in the same low tone. "It's because of Yami, right? If it wasn't for him…" His voice trailed off momentarily, then he became visibly angrier. It had always bothered him that Sugoroku insisted that he liked him for who he was, just as he was. He'd never been able to understand, despite all his promises to try and simply accept it. It wasn't his style to go by faith alone. It was a good thing too; he couldn't begin to count all the times he'd been stabbed in the back… "If it wasn't for him you wouldn't be here right now."

Sugoroku shook his head slowly. "Yami may have been the bridge in the beginning, but I believe there's a bond between you and I that goes much deeper than that. So no, I'm not here because of Yami. I care about you, Seto, because of who_ you _are. Because you're family."

There was that word again. Seto frowned as he tried to figure out what it meant in this case. Did he really think of Sugoroku as a grandfather? Did he truly want one? Although he called the old man "Jii-chan," then again, so did everyone else. It was practically his name. And on the flip side… what did Sugoroku see him as? A grandson because he was Yugi's age, even if he'd never felt like it? Or something more distant… But even a passing thought in that direction rankled.

"Seto?"

The younger man shrugged as if he didn't care, but Sugoroku looked straight at him and said, "'Family' isn't something I take lightly. It's not a word I throw around just for show. When you're as old as me, it really is the only thing that matters." Seeing Seto blinking at him, he added, "I had to be blunt. I didn't want you to misinterpret what I was trying to say. There's been enough of that today."

Seto's mouth opened as if to answer, then shut. He repeated that several more times before finally saying, "I don't know how to just 'accept it.' I've tried. I keep thinking about it, trying to understand, but my brain's just not buying it. I keep waiting for the inevitable… for you to decide it just isn't worth it."

"Betrayal isn't inevitable." The elderly shopkeeper sighed. "Seto, I'm not that kind of person."

"How the hell would I know? There's no guarantees!" Seto snapped back. "Even things like money, like blood, isn't enough!"

"… You're right. It's a lot for me to ask for trust when all I can offer you is my word. But I believe in you. Even if you can't do it today, I believe someday you'll understand… and you'll believe in me too."

Seto stared hard at Sugoroku for a good long minute, then he turned his back on the other man as if the conversation had finally pushed him too far. A stifling silence settled around them, heavy as the scent of salt in the air.

Sugoroku's shoulders sagged. It was tiring, going around in circles, trying to make a breakthrough when it felt like he was talking to a wall. But just as he began wondering if he ought to steer the conversation to safer waters and bide his time until Yami could sit down with them, Seto suddenly turned back to him and asked in a smaller voice, "If it's not everyone else, then is it me?"

"What do you mean?"

The brunette exhaled. "What did I do wrong? Why didn't they…" He bit his lip, essentially locking away the rest of what he might've said.

But the old man knew what Seto had wanted to ask. _Why didn't they want us?_ There was no right answer for that. He didn't know why, either.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Seto said wearily. "I can't complain. After all, I have my brothers and I have Yami… and I'm filthy rich and famous for doing exactly what I like to do. Heh, I bet a lot of people would kill to be me."

"Perhaps. But as you said, money can't buy everything."

Seto resumed chewing on his lower lip a moment as he tried to make a decision, then he blurted out, "I never told Mokuba about this. Or Yami." He turned slightly to see Sugoroku's startled expression, then looked back out over the endless expanse of sea as he continued on to explain, "My uncle had the nerve to contact me shortly after I took control of Kaiba Corp. He said he saw my photo in the paper and read the accompanying article. He said he was glad to see I was doing well, and that he was sorry for what had happened, that he wanted to make amends. He hadn't wanted to put us in the orphanage, but my aunt had been ill, and he hadn't been able to handle taking care of us too…"

"What did you do?"

"I deleted the email of course. It was the biggest load of shit I've seen in my life. Maybe he hadn't thought about me in so long, he forgot I'm not stupid." But even uttering such harsh words, Seto sounded more tired than angry now. He sighed, then added, "Even Gozaburo was capable of being honest at the very least."

Sugoroku couldn't think of a single useful thing to say. Perhaps Seto's uncle hadn't been completely deceptive when he'd said he hadn't been able to handle two children while caring for a sick spouse, but at the same time, Sugoroku didn't believe that that excused him from his responsibilities to said children. So instead the old man walked up to Seto and lightly touched his elbow before resting his hand on the younger man's arm. If there wasn't anything he could say to make things better, he could at least remind Seto that he was no longer alone… he did have people now that he could rely on.

Seto absentmindedly went to pat Sugoroku's hand, then stopped abruptly at the realization that the man standing beside him wasn't Yami. The touch had been so gentle that he'd reacted without thinking. He stared at the hand on his arm a second longer, then, leaving it where it was, muttered, "I don't know why I'm even thinking about it. It doesn't matter anymore. I don't care."

Knowing what a struggle it must've been for Seto to open up to him again, Sugoroku let the last few statements go unchallenged. Instead he gave Seto's arm another light squeeze before saying softly, "Thank you for confiding in me again."

Seto frowned slightly, though he still hadn't pulled away. He turned his gaze back to the sea. A minute passed, and then another. Sugoroku silently stayed by Seto's side, not pushing for anything more, wanting to give the brunette the time he needed to gather his thoughts.

Finally Seto took in a deep breath, then he reached over and carefully peeled Sugoroku's hand off his arm, though he held on to it for a second before letting go. He sighed. "You really aren't going to give up, are you?"

"I'm not a quitter."

"Neither am I," Seto automatically threw back.

A small smile touched Sugoroku's lips. "You really are 'worth it,' despite what you may think."

Seto flushed slightly, but instead of ducking his head and letting his hair drop into his face to hide it, he lifted his chin and looked Sugoroku in the eye. "I'll keep trying to accept it then, even if it seems futile. I've never let anything stop me no matter how impossible it seems," he announced, reinforcing his promise with newfound determination.

He was still a difficult young man. He was still going to be haunted by his past, tripped up by his doubts… But Sugoroku believed Seto would keep struggling towards his future, as he promised. "I know. Thank you."

They fell back into silence, though it was a far more comfortable one this time. If anyone were to happen by and see them, they really would likely assume they were seeing a grandfather and grandson on an outing together. But no one else was around anyhow. A slight commotion on the other side of the ship reminded Sugoroku what the cruise was for in the first place - it was likely the other passengers had spotted a whale or something.

"So when does this ship due back in port?" Seto asked as he rested his chin on the palm of his left hand. He could care less about sightseeing. But at least he seemed a little more relaxed, despite the faint tension that still carried through in his voice.

Sugoroku ruefully shook his head at the thought of Seto storming onto the bridge and demanding the captain head for shore. "An hour perhaps? It's on a set schedule, but I admit, I didn't really look at it when we bought the tickets."

"I want to go home. I… need to talk to them."

"I know. But it won't be too long."

Seto drummed his fingers on the railing. "…I bet I can make them head back a lot sooner."

He was probably thinking he could just buy the boat or that failing, the entire cruise company if needed, all so he could get back to his family an hour sooner. Sugoroku's smile broadened. "I wouldn't doubt that. But they'll be okay. Your brothers have each other, and they have Yami too."

Seto was about to stupidly blurt out that he needed them too, but he glanced at Sugoroku, and snorted. He had the old man with him. He couldn't discount that, not after all they'd talked about, not after the promise he'd made. And a little extra delay couldn't hurt. At least it'd give him some time to think about what he needed to say when he got home.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes:<br>- The part where Seto talks about his uncle contacting him was written maybe one, two years in advance as a much longer segment, which I had posted on livejournal (not that I expect anyone to remember that far back). Anyhow, because I wrote it so far in advance of the story the scene no longer worked, however I managed to rescue a piece of it because I really wanted to include it here.


	3. Part 3: Love Shines

Disclaimer: "Landslide" and "Love Shines" are performed and recorded by Fleetwood Mac. Yu-Gi-Oh! is the creation of Kazuki Takahashi. This is a not-for-profit fanwork and I do not own any of these characters.

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><p><strong>Landslide<strong>

**Part 3: Love Shines**

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><p>The worst thing about being the shortest one in the house was what was easily accessible to everyone else always ended up just out of reach. Yami was up on tiptoe, his fingertips brushing maddeningly against the canister that he needed, thinking to himself that he ought to lower the shelf an inch, if only he could remember to get around to doing so.<p>

A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder and a voice asked, "This one?" and Yami turned his head to see Mokuba standing behind him, the teen's long arm easily reaching over Yami's head to grab the item he'd been struggling with.

"Yes, thank you," Yami said as he accepted the container, putting it down on the kitchen counter.

"Mmhmm."

Mokuba took a step back so that he was standing at Noa's side and reached out for his boyfriend's hand, squeezing it, as they both stared at Yami, waiting to see if he'd say anything about… well, _that_.

Yami folded his arms across his chest. The teens weren't kids anymore, but at the same time, they looked so young, as if awaiting a parent's scolding for forgetting their homework or something. Yami felt his lips twitching into a smile. "I admit, I went riding this morning after Seto left for work, because I didn't know what to say when you finally came down. I guess it helped clear my head though, 'cause I realized, there was only one thing to say. Happy birthday, Mokuba."

The black-haired teen blushed a little. He hadn't expected Yami to be so laid back about it. Despite Yami's short stature, he sure looked authoritative when he crossed his arms just so. "You're not going to lecture us?"

"You kept your promise and waited," Yami pointed out. "And I've never had objections to your relationship anyhow, so this doesn't change anything for me. Besides, Seto and I weren't much older when we started dating. I don't think we really have the right to say anything if you think about it that way."

"Yeah, but…" and Mokuba and Noa quickly exchanged looks, "Seto didn't take it very well."

"I don't think either of us were expecting you to, um… celebrate your birthday in that manner," Yami said.

"It would've helped if he knocked at least, maybe," Noa said. "Not that you two have a clue what doors are," he added, almost out of habit.

It was Yami's turn to flush red. "Well…" he mumbled into his hand.

Mokuba frowned. While he was glad that Yami seemed okay with everything, he still wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Is Nii-sama okay? Is he… mad? You've been checking in on him, right?"

Yami took a moment to think of how to best answer. "He's not mad, not at you. He's just… I think it's just hitting him hard, that you're both adults now. And yes, I've been keeping an eye on him. I was worried too, when he left this morning in such a hurry. But he's not at work though."

"Huh? Then where?"

"He went out with Jii-chan."

"Why?" Mokuba's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you really sure he's okay?"

Yami patted Mokuba's shoulder. Actually, he wasn't sure how okay Seto was at the moment, but he trusted that his grandfather could deal with it. "He'll be fine. It's a good thing, I think. He needed someone to talk to, and Jiii-chan understands what it's like to be a parent."

"Even if you put it that way, I would've thought he'd just talk to you, because you understand too," Noa pointed out.

"That'd be true, but this… is a special occasion," Yami said, gamely grinning despite the sting he felt from the reminder. He knew it wasn't fair to expect Seto to confide in him and only him, but feelings and logic don't always coincide. And it hurt to have been pushed aside and left to deal with the teens by himself.

Mokuba wasn't convinced by the grin, nor by Yami's assurance that everything was all right. But there wasn't anything he could do at the moment, unless he wanted to call Seto and potentially worry him into running home. "I guess…"

Noa looked at Yami, then Mokuba, then back at the ex-spirit. Like Mokuba, he knew something was up, but at the moment he was more concerned about Yami than Seto. Seto was with someone who'd look out for him, who'd talk him through whatever issues he was having; Yami had been left behind. And he didn't want to make Yami feel worse by making more snide comments. So instead, he fixed his attention on the mixing bowl and foodstuffs on the counter. "So, uh, what are you working on?"

Yami relaxed a little. "I thought we could have a light lunch together. It's nothing fancy, I know, but I thought it'd be nice. I was going to make those croquettes that you guys like."

"Just for the three of us?" Noa asked.

Yami nodded. "I think Seto and Jii-chan will be out for a while - don't worry, I'm sure Jii-chan will make sure Seto eats something. But in the meantime, I wanted to make sure both of you are taken care of too."

Despite the fact that Seto was still foremost on his mind, it meant a lot to Mokuba to hear that. Yami cared, not just about Seto, but about him and Noa as well. He'd known that for a while now, but it always felt good being reminded of it.

The black-haired teen finally smiled and stepped forward to hug Yami. "Thanks. Lunch would be great." He found it funny that he often forgot to hunker down to hug him; Yami's presence made him seem so much bigger than he was. Mokuba didn't think he'd ever get used to the fact that at full height, his chin now easily cleared the top of Yami's head.

"Hey, me too!" Noa chimed in, jumping in to hug them both. He was relieved to see Mokuba cheering up a bit. The younger teen had been feeling stressed since Seto had barged into their room that morning – that's why they'd hidden in bed for so long – but Yami had help alleviate a little of that. Noa was grateful. "So you need a hand, Yami?"

Yami tilted his head back as he got sandwiched in the middle. He was grinning again, but this time it was genuine. "Thank you, but it's Mokuba's birthday. So just relax, kick back, and I'll call you down when it's ready, okay?"

* * *

><p>They'd just sat down to eat when Yami lifted his head and turned towards the direction of the front door. The teens, already swallowing their first bites of lunch, noticed his sudden distraction, glanced at each other, then looked back at their guardian once more before putting down their forks and staring expectantly in the same direction.<p>

Seto walked into the kitchen a minute later, stutter stepping to a halt in the doorway at the sight of the seated trio. No one said a word for a moment, then Yami finally broke the stalemate with a slight smile and a soft, "Welcome home."

Seto stared at him. Even though Yami hadn't seemed angry at him earlier, he really hadn't expected to be welcomed home either, not after what he'd done that morning.

"Have you eaten yet?" Yami asked, pushing back from his place at the table. Seto shook his head briefly. "I made a bit extra, in case you were hungry."

"… I'm not," the taller duelist mumbled.

Yami sighed and got up anyway, heading over to the oven to plate up some croquettes for Seto. He handed them to his boyfriend then pointed at the table, effectively silencing any further argument on the matter.

Seto obediently took a seat, though he still had no interest in eating. He pushed his food around the plate for a few moments like a hockey player toying with a puck, then put his fork down and turned to Mokuba and Noa, who both stared at him, their own meals forgotten.

The young CEO worked his jaw around while he tried to think of what he needed to say and how to best say it. But he didn't want to force his family to sit there in uncomfortable silence while he fumbled around for the right words. So he went for the obvious. "I'm sorry. About this morning," he clarified. "I don't know what I was thinking."

Mokuba's face turned pink. "You weren't… I mean… uh, um… Are you still mad?"

Seto blinked. His face paled a little. "No! I'm not… I wasn't mad, not at you," he immediately insisted.

Mokuba released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. Yami had said the same thing earlier, but it was a relief hearing Seto confirm it. No matter how happy he was that he'd finally consummated his relationship with Noa, it wouldn't have been worth it if it made Seto mad at him.

"And no, I'm not mad at Noa either." Seto quickly added, glancing at the other teen. He exhaled, then ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know what I was expecting. For you to be sleeping, I guess, not… well, you know. I just wanted to surprise you."

"Well, we were surprised all right," Noa muttered.

Seto and Mokuba both frowned at that, but the brunette managed to hold his tongue and didn't snap back at the green-haired teen.

"It's just… you ran out really quick. I mean, not that we were expecting you to hang around the bedroom to talk to us or something…" The pink blush turned red at that. "But I was worried. And then you… well, where did you go, anyhow? Yami said you weren't at work…" Mokuba trailed off as he took in what his brother was wearing. He must've been planning on going to work but for some reason, never made it there.

Seto grunted affirmatively, but didn't volunteer more information. He didn't want to worry Mokuba by implying he'd been disoriented and wandering about in a fog; he didn't want him to know that he'd been unsettled enough to seek advice from Sugoroku. If Yami had made no mention of where he'd been and who he'd been with, then he wouldn't bring it up either. But as he glanced at Yami he wondered, just what had the former Pharaoh told his brothers?

"Nii-sama. Are you sure you're really all right with this? With us?" a voice asked softly. Carefully. For a moment Seto thought Mokuba had said it, because it sounded like something only Mokuba would ask, but this time, it was Noa who issued the quiet query.

Seto was suddenly grateful for the time he'd spent with Sugoroku. Even if he wasn't sure about anything else, he knew the answer to that at least. _If this is what Mokuba wants… _"Yes, I am."

Noa inhaled, the soft sound audible in the silent room. He was surprised to get a definitive response so quickly… but he also knew with something that important, Seto wouldn't have just blurted out an answer without thinking, without meaning what he was saying. And there was no mistaking the honesty in his voice, in the directness of his gaze. Noa couldn't help but sigh in relief. Last night had been the best night of his life. He wanted it to happen again. And he knew, even if he hated to admit it at times, Seto's approval mattered a lot to Mokuba. He was glad it wasn't going to become another hurdle.

The green-haired teen looked over at his boyfriend and flashed him a small smile, and Mokuba nodded back, exhaling in relief before shooting back a grin of his own. Feeling the mood in the room lifting, they both found themselves with an appetite again and started digging into their lunches after a few moments.

Meanwhile, Yami was watching at his lover but didn't say a word. It was good to see Seto settle things with his brothers, even better that he didn't have to run interference. He could only hope that it'd be as easy to set things straight between the two of them as well. Yami took a bite of his food, chewing slowly, deep in thought…

With three-quarters of the kitchen's occupants now eating, Seto looked back down at his plate. He figured he should eat, at least out of courtesy, though he still wasn't hungry…

Apologizing to Mokuba and Noa, assuring them that he wasn't mad – that had brought Seto momentary relief – but right on the tail of that came a renewed wave of guilt for letting Yami down, for running away to leave the younger man to deal with the aftermath of Seto's own cowardice…

The brunette sighed and refrained from resuming his hockey game with the croquettes. His boyfriend would be even more offended if Seto didn't eat his cooking. He could do this, he knew he could.

Almost mechanically, Seto sank his fork into his food, lifted it to his lips, and began chewing. Nope, still not at all hungry, though his mouth at least remembered what to do with food and continued the process for him. He couldn't help but glance at Yami for his reaction. Their eyes met for a moment, and the ex-spirit gave a small nod of approval before going back to his own lunch.

* * *

><p>After the teens finished cleaning off their plates, Mokuba announced that he wanted to go to KaibaLand for the rest of the afternoon and promptly disappeared with Noa. Yami couldn't help but wonder if that was something the birthday boy had thought up over lunch, to give the older pair a chance to talk without fear of intrusion. Either way, he was grateful for it.<p>

Yami rose gracefully from his seat, picking up his plate to take to the sink. Seto caught the movement and pushed his plate forward an inch or two as well. He'd only eaten half of his lunch – a clear sign that he was still stressed - but Yami was still pleased he'd managed that much, given the circumstances.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't finish," Seto murmured when he noticed Yami assessing his plate. He folded his hands and primly placed them on the table.

"It's fine. You're just saving your appetite for dinner," Yami said with a touch of humor in his voice.

Seto shook his head. "Yami, I…"

"Come on, let's go talk in the family room instead," Yami suggested.

Seto took his lover's proffered hand and allowed him to lead him to the sofa. Yami sat down in one corner and pulled Seto down next to him so that he could drape his legs over the taller man's lap. Yami wanted to do whatever he could to make Seto feel at ease; they needed to talk, but he didn't want things to blow out of proportion. He just wanted to give both of them a chance to express how they were feeling. He'd already forgiven Seto hours ago, even though the other man hadn't asked for it yet.

Seto glanced at Yami. The younger duelist still didn't look upset but he wasn't saying anything either, so Seto figured that meant the ball was in his court now. He was suddenly glad he'd had the chance to apologize to Noa and Mokuba earlier… that let him clear his head so he could now focus on Yami like he needed to. And now that he thought about it, his earlier concern was overblown; things really would be all right between him and Yami, wouldn't they? The ex-spirit understood him better than anyone… maybe even better than Mokuba did. And Seto understood Yami too. He wasn't the type who'd throw a fit or run away or give up just because his boyfriend had been an unreasonable jerk hours earlier. But that didn't mean Yami would passively put up with bullshit either. He was smart enough to know when to give Seto his space… and when to stubbornly stay at his side, offering support even when Seto didn't deserve it.

Seto sighed softly at his own paranoid foolishness, then took a breath and rested his hand on Yami's knee. "Yami, I'm really sorry. I wasn't being fair to Mokuba and Noa this morning, and I definitely wasn't being fair to you. You were only trying to help and I ran like a coward and left you to deal with everything when… well, they're my brothers. My responsibility."

Yami gave him an understanding smile, and placed a hand on top of Seto's. "You're not a coward. I know this has been hard on you. But you need to remember… even though they're your brothers, they aren't your responsibility alone."

Seto almost wanted to argue the point out of habit, but Yami was right. He bobbed his head in agreement before asking, "What did you tell them when they finally came down?"

"I told Mokuba Happy Birthday. And that I supported them. Mokuba was worried about you of course. I told him you were with Jii-chan and you'd be okay…" Yami trailed off a bit uncertainly.

"Jii-chan was… I had to tell him about Mokuba and Noa. He wasn't very happy about it. But… well, it sounds a little crazy, but maybe I needed someone to tell me I was wrong to convince me it really is all right. Talking to him forced me to make up my mind and take a stand."

"It's not crazy at all. Having to defend your position can really strengthen your resolve."

Seto grunted in agreement. "I guess in the end he was okay with it. And I ended up telling him something that I hadn't even told you or Mokuba. I didn't mean to withhold it from you. I guess… I didn't want to think about it. But that's no excuse. You ought to know, because I have nothing to hide from you."

"Thank you. But you need tell me only if you want to, not because you feel you have to."

Seto nodded. He'd tell Yami later, about his uncle. The secret Sugoroku had shared with Seto would stay confidential though; it wasn't his story to tell. It felt a little weird to have a connection with the old man that no one else did, but it kind of felt good too.

But for the time being, Yami was the only thing Seto wanted to focus on, nothing else. He relaxed and let himself slide down into a bit of a slouch, then leaned over so that he could rest his cheek against Yami's. He smiled a little and felt Yami's facial muscles move to match the expression.

"I think this is the first time I've been able to think about us - just the two of us, without having to take Mokuba into consideration," Seto said thoughtfully. "Before… I didn't have the luxury to consider anything but my goal. Mokuba was the only thing that mattered. I didn't care about my wants or needs or even if I survived." He reached up and began toying with a strand of blonde bangs. "You coming into my life was an aberration. You made me want something solely for myself. I never thought it'd last. But yet, here we are."

"I knew we could make it work." Hearing Seto snort at what probably sounded like overconfidence, Yami quickly added, "We had our differences, yes, but I believed in you - your strength, your will, your undeniably loyalty to Mokuba. All together they made for an irresistible package."

"Funny, I thought you were after a different package."

Yami poked his lover, but he was grinning broadly. "Yes, I like that part of you too."

"Even when…" and Seto looked down, making a face at the memory, "it's not working as intended?"

Yami's smiled softened. He nuzzled his boyfriend, enjoying their closeness. "Honestly, it was probably the stress getting to you. I know you deal with stress on a daily basis – sometimes I think it's what you have for breakfast – but work stress and Mokuba stress are totally different things."

Seto shut his eyes. He found himself practically willing it to get hard, just to see if Yami was right, that it'd only occurred because he'd been thinking so much about Mokuba's birthday. Much to his disappointment, nothing was happening so far. It'd probably help if they were naked, he supposed. "What if… you're wrong?"

"Then I'm wrong. And we'd figure out what to do about it later." Yami paused, then added, "I wouldn't leave you, Baby. You know that."

"I guess I should be glad you're rarely ever wrong," Seto said gruffly, though he was busy rolling around the latter half of Yami's statement in his head. They'd joked around before about only wanting the other for his body, but that had never been the truth. So why did it feel good to hear Yami's reassurance?

Suddenly, the brunette felt his lover's lips brush against his, and he automatically opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. And although he definitely didn't believe in stupid things like fairy tales, he felt something in his body stirring, responding to the kiss, as if Yami were the prince waking it from a deep slumber.

Well, he _had_ been a pharaoh at one point… That wasn't too far off.

Seto broke the kiss to let loose a short bark of laughter. It was too corny to think of things that way. He didn't need a king on a desert born steed to rescue him. He didn't care about what they'd been in the past. But he also couldn't deny that, like magnets, he and Yami had been inexorably drawn towards each other, as rivals, as friends, as lovers... Soulmates even, though that was something Seto never thought he'd have.

_What's so funny?_ the ex-spirit asked. His eyes were bright in answering amusement.

God, it felt good having Yami's mental voice sliding through his head. It was sweet as honey and seductive as the promise of power. _Oh, nothing…_ Seto purred back.

He liked the way Yami's legs were now rubbing against his, the way Yami's hands stroked his arms and his side. Seto leaned in for another kiss, relishing the way Yami's tongue slid between his lips to tease his own tongue. It was getting hard to think about anything besides the body pressed against his. He felt wonderfully, vibrantly alive…

Yami's laugh rang through their shared link as he reached a hand down to loosely cup Seto's crotch. The young CEO groaned into his boyfriend's mouth. _Well, it looks like someone's ready for action,_ Yami gleefully informed him.

Seto smirked, feeling truly relieved and relaxed for the first time in days_. So let's give it some action then…_

_(lemon deleted for ffnet, full version is on my site)_

Yami sprawled bonelessly where he sat, feeling exhausted but very, very good. Judging by the look on Seto's face, and by the pleased purr rolling through his mind, his boyfriend felt the same. Then Seto reached out and lowered Yami down onto the rumpled throw before surprising him by climbing back up onto the sofa to collapse on top of the slighter duelist, a sticky, warm weight. Tall though he was, Seto made for a lousy blanket. But Yami had no complaints… Seto was back to normal, and any mess they'd made was contained by the blanket, and it was a nice summer day, and the teens were out of the house, and… everything was all right in the world again. He suddenly laughed, purely for the pleasure of it, and when Seto gave him a questioning glance, Yami just grinned broadly and snuggled down into the sofa cushions, intending on napping for a bit.

Feeling lazy and rather sleepy now as well, Seto reached up and gently carded his hand through Yami's thick hair, teasing the strands from scalp to tip before flattening down the spikes, only to have them spring up again. It was a huge relief to Seto that his own body was equally resistant to staying down. Actually, now that he thought about it, that was pretty much his philosophy on life in general. He'd never stay down, no matter how many punches he took, no matter what obstacles stood in his way. That wasn't going to change, even with Mokuba grown up, even knowing that Noa was looking out for him too. Seto was still the big brother, the head of the family, the CEO. But for the first time in a long time, he felt the chains of responsibility slacken from his shoulders…

He'd done it. He'd accomplished what everyone claimed was impossible and seen his brother to adulthood, fulfilling the promise he'd made to his mother – and himself. And he'd survived, even though he hadn't considered that essential. But more than that, he'd even recaptured the things he'd sworn off as luxuries he couldn't afford, like family and friends, happiness and affection…

Mokuba may have been the last piece of the puzzle to his heart, but Yami was the heartbeat that had brought it back to life. "Yami, thank you."

Yami blinked at him, satisfied and somewhat sleepy. "Mm?"

"I just love you, that's all." Seto smiled and kissed his boyfriend on the forehead. He was glad they'd ended up on the sofa. They had a few hours before they had to meet up with everyone attending the birthday party, and considering how poorly he'd slept the night before, a little nap sounded perfect.

* * *

><p>~ OWARI ~<p>

Author's Notes:  
>- And thus ends the penultimate arc. Stay away plot bunnies! Seriously… I don't want to shove in yet another diversionary arc somewhere between here and the final one.<br>- I hope the resolution to all of Seto's issues in this story didn't feel too abrupt. I think if this were a younger version of Seto, like the 19 year old version from "More Than Words" or "Aftershocks," he'd have spent many days hiding in his office and sleepless nights fretting and messing everything up in his head. But he's 23 here… he's been with Yami through thick and thin for five years. I think even someone as difficult, high strung, and thick headed as Seto would've figured out after five years that he's found a keeper in Yami.  
>- Thanks to Nenya85 for beta work and to everyone for reading!<p> 


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